NEW HAVEN -- In the end, it came down to the good Genevieve Salvatore did as a lawyer representing the downtrodden, compared to the bad of falsifying documents in 13 real estate closings.

"I can't get by the `why?'" Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall said Tuesday to Salvatore, 42, and her lawyer, Andrew Bowman. "A lawyer forging a signature ... and then notarizing the forged signature ... It's so contrary. You had to know at the time that you knew what you were doing was wrong ... You had to."

Salvatore, a lawyer who ran unsuccessfully as the Democratic candidate in a four-way race for Milford mayor in 2009, was sentenced to two years in federal prison Tuesday. Hall ordered her to begin serving the sentence on July 11 and will recommend that Salvatore be incarcerated in the federal women's camp in Danbury.

Additionally, the judge ordered Salvatore to spend three years following her release from prison under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Department. She will also be required to make restitution of an amount yet to be determined.

Bowman said Salvatore already forfeited $19,100 to the government. He said she is expected to lose her license to practice law for some period. That decision will be made by a judge.

Salvatore is the second lawyer charged in the case to be sentenced to two years in prison. Previously, Hall imposed the term on Bradford Rieger, of East Haven. Two other lawyers, Lawrence Dressler and Jeffrey Weisman, have yet to be sentenced by Hall.

The four were involved with mortgage brokers and two men, Ronald Hutchison and Jacques Kelly, in the latter pair's purchase of several multifamily homes in New Haven. The homes lapsed into foreclosure.

Salvatore was involved in 13 of those purchases which, Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. McReynolds said, cost lenders $2,459,000.

McReynolds reminded the judge that Salvatore not only was involved in falsifying signatures, she also submitted false HUD forms.

Still, Bowman said Salvatore's involvement lasted only six weeks and for 13 closings.

He told the judge she devoted more time to raising funds and public awareness on food allergies as a result of her son's reaction to peanuts. He also pointed out that Salvatore took on the case of a man she met going door to door during her election run. The man's partner had died and he had been denied survivor benefits. Salvatore found volunteers to help the man.